Yellowstone star Jefferson White opened up about how playing ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom on the hit series allowed him to grow as an actor.
“It’s both a transformation and also, in acting there’s sort of a constant question,” the actor said. “Are you transforming into this character, or are you revealing some part of yourself that is this character, ya know?
Before Yellowstone, White had next to know knowledge on the western genre. However, he felt this gave him an advantage because he could learn with his character.
“You know, when I first started doing this show four years ago, I didn’t really know anything about the western world,” said White. “I didn’t know anything about cattle ranching, about cowboying, riding rodeo, about any of this stuff, so the last four years has been a real crash course for me. And you know, alongside Jimmy, that figures out where he fits in this world, I’ve been diving in myself and spending this time trying to learn basically.”
Now, after the finale of Yellowstone season four, Jimmy finds himself engaged and starting a new life away from the Dutton Ranch. Presumably, he is set to appear on the upcoming spinoff 6666.
Jefferson White Opens Up About Jimmy’s Future on Yellowstone
According to White, series creator Taylor Sheridan has not yet revealed what Jimmy’s fate will be moving forward.
“We don’t know anything. Listen, I certainly don’t know anything,” White said. “I think it’s very funny. People keep expecting me to know what’s going on, and nobody would tell Jimmy anything, right? Like, it feels like another way in which me and Jimmy are similar is that nobody tells me anything. So, I would be incredibly excited to go back to work in Montana. I would be incredibly thrilled to go back to work in Texas. If I was suddenly unemployed, I would be neither excited or thrilled, but I’d get through it. I could go back to washing dishes in Iowa.”
Moreover, White felt connected to the uncertain aspect of Jimmy taking off to start a new life. He explained: “When Jimmy drives away off into the sunset, I’m proud of him for making a decision for what he wants for him and Emily. I think that’s a beautiful thing. Also, the uncertainty that that represents is a scary thing. He’s in this real transition moment for the first time in his life. He’s being offered the opportunity to make his own decisions. And then the sort of flip side of that is to take accountability for those decisions. The consequences of those decisions Jimmy can’t blame anyone for but himself, so fingers crossed it goes well for him.
“We all have these moments where we step out into the unknown, we make the difficult decision to step away from familiarity and safety and security into the unknown. I hope that it goes well for old Jimmy,” he concluded.